While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.And they stoned Stephen, calling upon the Lord, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
3 sermons cite this verse
… And as they stoned him, Stephen prayed, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. He fell to his knees shouting, Lord, don't charge him with this sin. And with that, he fell asleep. Wow, what a story. God gave Stephen the grace he needed when he needed it. You say, wow, if I were in this situation, I wouldn't have reacted as Stephen did. I don't know that that's true. God will give you what you need when you need it. Not before, never after. because I can think of people I've seen that are suffering and I think, man, I would never be like that. I wouldn't have that kind of faith. Why do you say that? The Bible says he's a very present help in times of trouble. So God will give you what you need when that moment comes. And that's exactly what he did for Stephen. Hebrews 4, 16 says, God will give us grace to help in time of need. And so God gave him that grace. …
… the author of most of the rest of the New Testament. This guy had a huge impact on the kingdom. How did this happen? Look back in Acts chapter 7 verse 59. Acts chapter 7 verse 59. How did this happen? Look at Acts chapter 7 verse 59. It says, while they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. They're praying as stones are flying at their faces. Then he fell on his knees and he cried out, Lord, do not hold the sin against them. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. And who was there? Saul was there giving approval to his death. And Stephen had prayed, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Do not hold the sin against them. And that who was the greatest enemy of the church became the greatest advancer of the church. Two chapters later. One more. Let me show you chapter 10. chapter 10 look with me at verse 47 in chapter 10 up until this point in the book of acts the gospel's only gone mainly to jewish people now it goes into this gentile's house named cornelius acts chapter 10 verse 47 peter says can anyone keep these people these gentiles from being baptized with water they've received the holy spirit just as we have so we order that they be baptized in the name of jesus christ and they asked peter to stay with them for a few days for the first time gentile converts come into the church. Why did this happen? Look back in Acts chapter 10, verse 9. What had happened to precede …
… it says they looked intently, they fixed their eyes on him. Same thing in Acts chapter 7, verse 54 through 60, when Stephen is about to be stoned, it says he looked up to heaven, he saw Jesus, the glory of God, saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. So it's a fixed gaze. It's not just a glance. What I want you to see is a progression here. When we begin to get a hold of the reality of the needs around us, number one, we begin to see the hurts around us. This is the progression. Very simple in this passage. We see the hurt. then second we begin to feel the hurt it's not just glancing at it oh yeah that's there it's it's beginning to feel the weight of that that's exactly what luke is getting at in verse four when it says peter and john looked at him intently it's not just a pass a look as they passed by so they saw the hurt they felt the hurt and number three we touched the hurt that's exactly what peter does a pretty bold statement to say you know i don't have any money but i do have this get up and walk. …